Utility Aggregation

By Ken Bryant

Symmes Ballot issues 50 and 51 propose for residents to allow Trustees to negotiate lower utility costs or improved stability in prices.

Aggregation means combine. Utility means both GAS and ELECTRICITY. The concept is to combine all Gas loads in the township and/or all Electric loads in the township and to purchase those quantities in bulk from State certified suppliers while negotiating lower prices and/or longer-term price stability for the residents of Symmes Township. For the Township to negotiate, the residents must pass a resolution for each utility by voting YES or NO on November 3rd, 2009. To help inform the voters, the Township will hold 2 public hearings prior to the election. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), Several Independent Natural Gas and Electricity suppliers and Duke Energy have been invited to explain aggregation to the residents. The PUCO was created to assure Ohioans adequate, safe, and reliable public utility services at a fair price. While several surrounding Villages and Townships have passed similar gas aggregation resolutions, only Green and Springfield Townships have passed electricity aggregation resolutions. They have been invited to provide their experiences to the public at these meetings. The meetings are scheduled for September 24th, 2009 @ 7:00 P.M. and October 22nd, 2009 @ 7:00 P.M. Both meetings will be held in the Symmes Township Safety Services Center on Weekly Lane.